The Professional Footballers' Association hopes Roy Keane and Alfie Haaland can settle their public differences.

The Professional Footballers' Association hopes Roy Keane and Alfie Haaland can settle their public differences.

Keane rekindled their four-year feud when he caught Haaland with a late, knee-high tackle in the Manchester derby on April 21. The Manchester United skipper was sent off and compounded his crime by standing over the stricken Haaland and shouting at the Manchester City captain before walking off.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor welcomed Haaland's conciliatory line and he hopes it will bring an end to the unpleasant affair, adding: "We just hope that the matter has been sorted out and that there won't be any such problems in the future."

Keane is believed to have made reference to an incident four years ago when he injured his cruciate ligaments trying to foul Haaland, then a Leeds player. Haaland was livid over Keane's tackle and the Norwegian was quoted as saying "I don't think he is mentally right" and "I really dislike United and I can't stand their players".

Haaland has now tried to defuse the situation by claiming he does not hold a grudge against Keane and that he does not hate the United players.

Taylor added: "We don't want to see this because it can cause problems and build up grudges before games and set the wrong tone for games. If needs be we will do our best to make sure this does not happen again and that they bury the hatchet, metaphorically speaking."

Meanwhile, Keane has insisted he is "happy and settled" at United and defended the outbursts which came in the wake of the Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.

Keane, who stressed he intends to honour his current United contract, said United were an "average team" who were "just not good enough" after Bayern knocked them out of Europe.

The United skipper also suggested it might be "the end of the road" for the current side and claimed some of his team-mates were "getting complacent" and "going through the motions" in training.

England captain David Beckham rejected Keane's "average team" verdict and dismissed the Irishman's call for changes insisting United should "stick together as a team" and had "never been a side who have come in the papers and said things about each other".

But a defiant Keane tonight told United's official website manutd.com: "My recent comments reflected my intense disappointment a feeling shared by my team-mates and the rest of the club at our elimination from the Champions League.

"In expressing my views I have not wished to cause any offence to my manager, my team-mates or the supporters of the club.

"Indeed, from the responses which I have received, I do not believe that any such offence has been caused."

Keane's frustration with United's Euro failure and his admission that one day he would like to play for Celtic have sparked speculation about his future at Old Trafford.

But Keane said: "I am very happy and settled at Manchester United, especially following the club's success yet again in the Premier League this season.

"My contract with the club continues for another two years and it is my intention to honour that contract."

Keane was also quick to dismiss weekend claims that he has received treatment for depression.

He added: "I am not suffering from depression or any other illness, nor am I receiving treatment at the Priory Clinic as has been alleged."